Shakayla Litka Memorial Fund

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Anonymous. As children we all have heard this saying from our parents and loved ones. We may have not fully understood the true meaning but the tragedy that our family is unfortunately dealing with right now is proof that in fact words do hurt.................On an early Tuesday morning our lives welcomed a lot more sunshine at 6:17 AM est time on October 2nd, 2002  in South Bend, IN home of Notre Dame Football in the form of our blessed, 7 pound 11 ounce angel who we call Shakayla Lanae Litka. She entered our physical world in only 3 hours that I was in labor with her. She was so excited to be here and couldn't wait . She was entering into a large extended close knit family and friends who all love her very much. Her great grandma gave her her first present into this world. Our beloved great aunt Rita Zielinski came to visit our baby girl and bless her and me with holy communion as she was a RN and a hospital chaplain.........Shakayla was growing up loved by her close family and best friend, her older brother Tavion Litka. She was the happiest baby never crying unless she was hungry or needed changed,constantly surrounded by love. As the years went on she was loved by so many and everyone who she touched fell instantly in love with her. Her father loved her but when she was 18 months old she gained her "Dad" in the form of my husband Steve who is the one she ran to, to cry, to love, to hug ,to hold , and just to share when she needed to. So full of life and so smart as she has always had perfect attendance and was a straight A student her whole life.........Unfortunately all the love in the world from people who've been touched by her was not enough.......Our beautiful, smart, wonderful angel here on earth has been a victim of bullying.......Children are cruel and they are not born into this world knowing how to treat people they are born knowing love. We are living proof that WORDS DO IN FACT HURT!......... On Wednesday May 27, 2015 those words that were said to her caused her to take actions into her own hands...........She came home from school and was only home for a short while when we found her and God guided our hands and actions as we tried to get her revived and our actions saved her as she was able to keep fighting until the very end in her body's own induced coma for two more days........

On Friday May 29, 2015 God took our angel home with him. We were not prepared for this as our daughter was so full of life with no sicknesses. Parents are not supposed to bury their children. Our hearts are broken and our sunshine is gone for now until we get to be with her again. It's not goodbye but see you later.

We are asking everyone that has prayed for us, worked with Shakayla during this difficult time,  also for those that have been touched by this story or victimized by bullying, or simply touched by children being victimized by bullying to offer us help to give her a proper burial and welcoming home with God. If you are unable to offer help, share this story to others to help end bullying. #wordsdohurt #fightforshakayla Lord our god pray for us. Amen